


Oh Simple Thing

by HavenStan12 (QueenOfTheFandoms)



Series: Somewhere Only We Know [3]
Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Graduation, Light Angst, Multi, there's no really big things here?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:15:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfTheFandoms/pseuds/HavenStan12
Summary: After four long years, the seniors graduate.
Relationships: Charles Amos/Justin Bancroft, Merril Portman/Spencer Willis
Series: Somewhere Only We Know [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756360
Kudos: 2





	Oh Simple Thing

"Natalie Williams!"

A cheer rose up as a girl with short black hair walked across the stage. Only two more people in front of him, now. Sydney hugged him from behind.

"We really did it, huh? We're graduating!"

He laughed, letting her hang on for a few seconds.

"Okay, Syd, you gotta let go. I'm next."

She did, and he was called.

“Spencer Willis! He did one hundred and five hours of community service work, which is the highest of all of the Dalton seniors. He'll be attending the University of Michigan in the fall."

As he walked across the stage, hearing the cheering and flash of his mom's camera, he thought about how far he'd come. He posed for a picture with Headmaster Winters, then went to the table to pose with his diploma. He headed down the stairs as Sydney was crossing it, and he let out a sharp whistle, which made her laugh. He waited for her, and the two of them walked back to their seats together. The rest of the ceremony went by relatively quickly (it helped that their last name was four letters from the bottom), and soon enough all the graduates were lining up to go meet their parents in the hallway. Their mother was hugging them as soon as she could make her way through the crowd.

“My babies! Graduated!”

She pulled back, only to pull out her phone.

“Spencer, put your arm around Sydney.”

He obliged, and the first round of picture-taking began. He had pictures with Sydney, his mom, both, his dad, his dad and Sydney, his mom and dad, and finally all three. He was relieved when Justin and Charlie came over.

“C’mon you two, the parents want pictures.”

Sydney groaned. Spencer ignored her.

“Is that okay?”

His mother smiled.

“I don’t have any problems with it since I have all my pictures for now. Pax?”

He looked at his father. They’d made an uneasy truce since April, and he was hoping he’d be able to forgive him in time. As if thinking the same thing, his father nodded.

“Meet at the car in no later than thirty minutes.”

The two of them agreed before running off after Charlie and Justin.

“Oh, there you two are! All of you in the picture!”

Sandra Amos was as friendly as ever. Spencer handed her his phone.

“Sure, Do you mind taking pictures with my phone too?”

“Well, of course, sugar!”

The four of them got into various silly poses before Spencer was given his phone back. As Sidney began to talk to Ms. Amos, Charlie began to speak.

“Okay, how are we getting you to Merril?”

Justin, who had been watching the crowd gave them a grim look.

“We need a distraction. Unfortunately for me, the perfect one is coming this way.”

That distraction? Lindsay Bancroft. Charlie and Spencer patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. He gave a long-suffering sigh.

“You owe me.”

Ms. Bancroft gave them all a smile.

“Congratulations on graduating, you four.”

They all gave her their thanks.

“Charles, where’s Hope?”

“Oh, her family swept her off as soon as the ceremony ended I imagine.”

He laughed awkwardly, and everyone gave him a worried glance. Ms. Bancroft seemingly didn’t notice.

“I’m surprised you aren’t with her, haha!”

For a few seconds, it was so quiet that you couldn’t hear a pin drop.

“Uh, that’s because we broke up a few days ago.” 

She covered her mouth.

“Oh, I’m _so_ sorry.”

“We were going in different directions y’all know?”

Ms. Bancroft looked unusually determined.

“You can’t let something as silly as distance steer you away from love, Charles! You have to go to change her mind. Sweep her off her feet!”

All four of them were trying not to laugh.

“You’re right, Ms. Bancroft! Spencer, I need you to help me plan.”

The two of them ran for the exit, and as soon as they were outside burst into laughter.

“‘You have to change her mind!’ Oh jeez, I can’t breathe. I’ve been daring her son for a year and a half, how am I still getting away with this?”

Spencer wheezed.

“Holy shit, wow. I can’t believe-”

His phone rang, and he answered it.

“Hey, do you know where dad parked?”

He blinked. Sydney where the car was. Unless…

“Stick by the standard _lie_ ght. And no tank!”

“Got it, thank you!”

Charlie stared at him.

“What was that?”

“Oh, Syd wanted to know what and what not to say. It’s just code we invented as kids.”

He snorted.

“Of course. Come on, let’s go see your girlfriend.”

The two of them crossed the front lawn. Soon enough, they came across his girlfriend, who hugged him.

“You looked so good up there!”

He laughed as she proceeded to kiss as much of his face as she could reach.

“Heh, thanks”

Charlie clapped him on the shoulder.

“This is where I leave you, man. I still haven’t told my mom me and Hope “broke up”, and I’d rather tell her while we’re in public so she doesn’t make a scene. Something tells me that she’ll be more upset than when it was me and Leslie.”

“Hey, do you mind taking a picture of the four of us first?”

M-no, Simon and Patty looked surprised yet pleased as Merril arranged them before pulling Spencer in. As he smiled for the picture, he realized that Merril never let go of him. 

Charlie handed his phone back.

“I’ll drop the trip deets in the Kik chat, my parents are paying as a grad gift so there’s no issue. See ya.”

With a wave, he ventured off. 

“Sweetie, we’re going to get the car. You’re fine staying with Spencer, right?”

Merril held back a snort.

“I’ll be fine, Aunt Patty.”

She nodded before kissing Spencer on the forehead.

“Congratulations, honey.”

Her husband shook his hand, and then they were off towards the parking lot. Merril hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“I’m gonna miss having you around.”

He looked at her in alarm.

“Uh, none of that! We still have another two and a half months before you’re even allowed to think about it.”

Her smile was so bittersweet it hurt.

“I know. I just… I don’t like goodbyes.”

He kissed her on the forehead.

“Good thing it won’t be a goodbye, just a ‘See ya at Thanksgiving’.”

He lifted her without warning, and she shrieked as she tightened her grip on his robe.

“Spencer Wilhelm Willis! You put me down right this instant!”

He began to spin her around instead, and he could barely hear her protests over her laughs.

“Spencer!”

“Spencer?”

His mother’s voice made him freeze for a moment, and he carefully placed Merril down.

“Hey, Ma.”

Merril, who had been slightly confused, paled a little. He wasn’t sure if she noticed that she had shifted slightly behind him, but his mom had. She offered her hand.

“You must be his girlfriend. I’m Miranda Willis.”

Merril froze, and for a moment he wasn’t sure if she was going to make a run for it. (He wouldn’t have blamed her.) But, she stepped forward and offered her a smile as she shook her hand.

“I’m Merril Portman. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

His mom immediately wrapped her arms around her, nearly sending her into orbit.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger. Oh, you’re absolutely beautiful! Why date my son?”

Spencer made an offended noise in his throat.

“Ma!”

Merril broke down into a fit of giggles, and his mom beamed at her.

“Would you like to come to dinner with us?"

The joy on her face evaporated and was replaced by fear.

“Oh, I couldn’t inconvenience you guys like that…”

His mom waved a hand.

“It really isn’t. My brother Keith was supposed to come but apparently he got into a fight with his girlfriend and is stranded in Canada."

Spencer closed his eyes in mortification. Damnit, Uncle Keith. Merril nodded.

"Well, if you insist... Let me just call my aunt and uncle, tell them where I'm going."

She walked a little ways away, and his mom shot him a worried look.

"That wasn't too much, was it? She looked so nervous…"

He knew why she was nervous. But it wasn't his place to say, so he just patted her on the shoulder.

"She's just worried about making a good impression, Ma. She'll be okay."

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so this was actually supposed to be the end but then I found out Cedar Point (a past hyperfiction) is (roughly) only a little more than two hours away by car AND one of my favorite rides (Disaster Transport) would have been still open when they graduated so guess where they're going lol


End file.
